Event Description
Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon
Start at Congress & San Jacinto
6:50 a.m. Marathon & Half Marathon Wheelchair Start
7:01 a.m. Marathon & Half Marathon Start
Start Line
The Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon use a single start line for both races. The start features four corrals with the first corral starting at 7:01 a.m. Corrals B and C will follow the A Corral using a pulsed start method – three minute time intervals separating the corrals – to reduce course congestion. Corral D will follow immediately after the C corral with no pulsed intervals. Corral assignments are determined by the predicted finish time of each runner indicated during registration. Corral A seeding is by request only, and the deadline to submit a qualifying time is November 30, 2018. Please log in to your participant account to add your qualifying time.
Signage, Clocks
Mile signs and clocks will be posted at every mile. Course clocks will be set to correspond with the 7:01 a.m. start time.
Water and Gatorade Stations
Water and Gatorade Endurance Formula (Lemon-Lime), the Official Sports Fuel Provider of the Chevron Houston Marathon, are available every 1.5 miles beginning at mile 2. The specialized Gatorade sports drink contains approximately twice the sodium of Gatorade Thirst Quencher (200 mg per 8 ounces), along with chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium to help sustain hydration by more fully replacing what is lost in sweat.
All hydration stations have Gatorade tables’ set-up first. To avoid the bottleneck at the first table, get your drink from a later table.
Gatorade Endurance Energy Gel stations will be placed at approximately mile 7 of the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon and again at approximately mile 18 of the Chevron Houston Marathon.
The last Gatorade table and last water table of each station are marked by a sign. Please keep moving even after you pick up your drink. If you wish to slow down to drink, do so after you have passed all tables. For your safety, take fluids only at the official stations. They will be protected by race security.
Both Gatorade and water will be available in the George R. Brown Convention Center before and after the race.
Course Aid Stations
Medical aid stations are available at every other mile beginning at mile 5. The aid stations are marked by large red tents with a white cross.
Port-a-cans
Port-a-cans are located every 1.5 miles starting at mile 2, following the refueling stations.
Course Photos
MarathonFoto.com will have a team of professional photographers take numerous photos of event participants at multiple locations prior to the event, on the course as well as at the finish and post-finish areas.
Course Entertainment
As you run this highly acclaimed course, you’ll be cheered on by more than 200,000 supporters and spectators who make Houston renowned for its hospitality. From belly dancers, Elvis impersonators and tuba players to marching bands, radio stations, cheerleaders and bag pipers, a multitude of Hoopla brigadiers line the course to entertain and cheer you on to the finish!
Course Time Limit
The time limit for the half marathon is four hours. However, in order to complete the race faster than the roads are being re-opened to vehicular traffic, all half marathon participants must be able to maintain a pace of 13:45 per mile or faster over the first eight miles of the course. Any half marathoners finishing after the four hour time limit will not be scored as official finishers.
The time limit for the marathon is six hours. The course will close on a rolling schedule, with the finish line closing at approximately 1:55 p.m. Marathon runners must sustain a pace of approximately 13:45 per mile in order to finish ahead of the course closure.
Under no circumstances may participants be on the course before the official start time. Beginning before the official start time will result in disqualification. If participants choose to continue running after the course closes, they do so at their own risk and will be asked by the Houston Police Department to move off the streets.
No times are recorded after the four-hour and six-hour time limits for the half marathon and marathon, respectively. Participants finishing over the four or six hour time limit (chip time) will not be considered official finishers.
Walkers and Slower Participants
The Aramco Houston Half Marathon welcomes all those who can finish in the four hour time limit. If you plan on participating, but cannot average the necessary 13:45 per mile pace for the first nine miles and 18:00 per mile pace thereafter, please be aware that streets on the route will be reopened to vehicular traffic on a rolling schedule, as dictated by our permit.
Prohibited Items on Course
There are a number of items that are not allowed on the course. Here is a partial list of what is NOT allowed on the course: runners going backward; runners not wearing a bib; animals; bicycles; baby joggers; strollers; roller skates and rollerblades; hand-crank chairs; and any wheeled vehicles other than wheelchairs. In accordance with USATF guidelines, wheelchair athletes must wear helmets.
If you have a question about what is or is not allowed, please email us at marathon@chevronhoustonmarathon.com.
Course Certification
The Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon courses are certified by the Road Running Technical Council of USA Track & Field. The Houston Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K are sanctioned by USA Track & Field and the Gulf Association of USA Track & Field.
Course route is subject to change.
